As Saul Bellow observed, "A great deal of intelligence can be invested in ignorance when the need for illusion is deep."

To "intelligence," Bellow might have added "taxpayer dollars." Various agencies of the U.S. Government perceive a need to maintain the illusion that they can detect deception (in effect, a form of mind-reading). The polygraph is increasingly ineffective as more and more people discover that it is a fraud. Hence, the need for a new "lie detector." For those of us concerned about polygraph policy, I think it is important that we be vigilant against a new fraud being foisted upon us.

That said, I think that research into the physiology of the brain is a worthwhile endeavor. But, to paraphrase Dr. Drew Richardson, having the Department of Defense Polygraph Institute in charge of such research is like having a research institute connected with the tobacco industry in charge of cancer research -- a concern echoed by the National Academy of Sciences at page 230 of its report, The Polygraph and Lie Detection.

Marty,

A working lie detector would raise a host of ethical and civic questions regarding the scope of its application, as well as the extent to which it should be relied upon (as opposed to other evidence).